Brubeck's style ranged from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills. Much of his music employed unusual time signatures, a fact jokingly referred to by his greatest hits album 'Time Signatures: A Career Retrospective'. Upon his death, a number of commentators noted his crossover appeal to mainstream pop audiences, something putting him in the company of other jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong and Herbie Hancock among others.
Laura
Dave Brubeck Lyrics
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Footsteps that you hear down the hall.
The love that floats on a summer night,
That you can never quite recall.
And you see Laura on a train that is passing through.
Those eyes how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you,
In Dave Brubeck's song "Laura," the lyrics describe the memory of a woman, Laura, who appears through misty lights and the sound of footsteps down the hall. Her presence is elusive, as she is remembered as a love that floated on a summer night but can never quite be recalled. The singer even sees Laura on a passing train, her familiar eyes striking a chord within him. But Laura is only a dream from the past; the woman who gave him his very first kiss remains a wistful memory.
Through these lyrics, Brubeck captures the nostalgia and longing associated with past love and memories. Laura serves as a symbol for the past, and the singer's inability to forget her adds to the dreamlike and surreal quality of the song. The use of sensory experiences, such as the misty lights and sound of footsteps, adds to the emotional depth of the song, which speaks to anyone who has experienced the bittersweet nature of memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Laura is the face in the misty lights.
Laura is a memory that is difficult to see clearly, like a face hidden by foggy lights.
Footsteps that you hear down the hall.
You can sense Laura's presence in your memory, like hearing footsteps coming from a distant hallway.
The love that floats on a summer night,
Laura's love feels fleeting, like the warmth of a summer night breeze that just passes through.
That you can never quite recall.
Despite trying to remember, the details of Laura and her presence in your life remain elusive.
And you see Laura on a train that is passing through.
Laura may reappear suddenly in your thoughts, like seeing her face on a passing train.
Those eyes how familiar they seem
Laura's eyes are still recognizable to you, even if everything else feels distant.
She gave your very first kiss to you,
Laura holds a special place in your memory as the person who gave you your first kiss.
That was Laura but she's only a dream.
Despite feeling vivid, the memories of Laura are just illusions and cannot be truly relived.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Raksin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pedronunez4507
Es una de las mejores versiones de Laura. Gloria y descanso eterno para Brubeck y los grandes que han actuado con el. Saludos desde España.
@sinprelic
i love it how on every single dave brubeck (quartet) video, everyone is mentioning how this is the most enchanting and beautiful music they have heard. it's a great feeling to know that this artist not only performed some good songs, but that his entire career and discography were one big artistic WIN.
@reeltapegone2823
One of my favorite Brubeck "pieces"...still give me chills !!
@bertdorf4
I live approximately 6 blocks from College of the Pacific, of which is now Named University of the Pacific. I've grown up around the Brubeck Institute, and what they have done for jazz musicians is just so immense. Brubeck is a major influence on us jazz musicians, and its a sad time around town, since his passing. We're having a memorial concert for him soon. May the legendary Dave Brubeck forever rest in peace and in music.
@27sepulchre
First time I've heard this, what an amazing interpretation, I'm a teenager again and that's about fifty years ago!
@elzbietaszeib8194
Ku pamięci Dave'a, szkoda że już go nie ma!
@omaraaron6973
Música perfecta para una noche oscura, viendo las calles moribundas y tristes de Lima o cualquier otro lugar, a cualquier hora, pero que sea con jazz, y con jazz del bueno.
@jazz4asahel
Now is the time to truly enjoy what Brubeck crafted in 1953. Safely said that in another hundred years this will be classical instruction.
@kocn53
Agreed. I don't know a lot about music, but I do know that Dave could and often did play in two keys at once. That gave the unique sound he had which no one else has ever quite duplicated. I wonder, if someone very musically knowledgeable but knowing nothing about Brubeck, looking at a transcription of a solo like that, could see what he was doing, or if it would just look like strange harmonies? BTW, graduate students have been doing theses on Paul Desmond solos for years. The way he could improvise was phenomenal. That team of Dave & Paul was a uniquely American phenomenon, the likes of which will never be equaled IMO.
@lauraprince1310
OMG, the song I was named after...not just Laura, but this, the most beautiful version ever...